Can opener



Jan. 1, 1952 R. D. COLGROVE CAN OPENER Filed Nov. 6, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 1, l

l-JN--nri.:n STAT-Ets ement OFFICE 2,580,998

CAnoPENEm Robert Dzncoi'gyove; noeengeieegceuf; AllplicatiomNov-.emlier 6; 1948, Serial No. 58,699'

roxanne (on: sir-zar My: invention relates Qneiof the-principal..

contentsftherefrom.:

tol*T aacan. opener. objects:J of; thisx invention 1s primarily a. can.: to.r` provide; open.- the.A contents fromi thegcan and thereto to facilitate; the

andttolpro.-

vide;- arnopenei;` ofL this class.. Which-iis.. so,A designed thatt,.may also; be used for; cutting; the:-11d or headLfromia-acan...

Another. important 1 object.. ci. this.. invention is to. provide a. cant. @pene rf of-.L this classehafvine:A a.

fulcnum von pivotzatene.Vv endiand, a.v can` puncture ings 0.1;l cutting. meansfy spaced.V rearwardly@ from suchendgsosasfto. pitovidethe maximumJeverage im;r punotur-ing or. cutting thesrcan An.v impontant.. object;Y to provide a can opener loef formedv from.. onewhich man beforine stamping..

an. annular shoulderthickness ofgthmetal A .sti11. further.; objectwhich'` the canfpiercngl so..constr,ucted: and;arra

also..` of; this; inyentionL is. of this class Whichmay an` simple-V stampingA and.-v further d; in asnglestrokeof the is. to providefaf device; in. andv punching. means? is. nged that-.itzactsfA toffoldV the.;L tab, for-med by; theev punching; operation yinei wardlyftoward tl-ieecentersof.` theflid..

With;i these.; and; other obj recits.;r in.; view;L ass will.

anpeanhereinaitex;

ings and to the-1 Chalact .L have devised. a cani opener; havlngg. certain.- novel-l y plcation, ,iniwhich e can opener in one form;

Fig. 2 is=a1top viewfthereof showing-by dotted lines .ajragmentary por tion ofzf-a metal can'witir end of my opener in a m tion:

odied form of construc- 35. spaced". from, and' backwardly is; 4o.-

Eiga; ..7 andi 81 are.-respectii/.elyA sides-and top :views of the can puncturing and..enttine` end. of. my. openenzin; anotheizmodfediorm endg,

Eig.. 9F. is, a..` crossesectional, view,. takenI on. line.

Sir-Stormie; 2..

' whereas .thea opposite, end'. portion, designated. B,

provides theliandleior. the opener. when manip.u ulating',the..endAionpunetnringior.cutting;acan.V

The. end.y Alisten the.. end. offl' a...1io.ok` 41. the. hook. being. formed as theionwardpart, ofthe1 ange.. l; Thehook. ex.-

tends'.ddwnwaroll'yf from .the fiangelandltlie. pivot.

3deformedlatthe.pointedlendlofthehook... The. hook 4; is. bent; to one.` side. of? the. plane. o. the iiange; I.; andthe pointed port-inner.. pivot. 3 is formediby. twstingtl'ie hookdntlieopposite direc.-

tion.as.,shown bestjn Fig. 2.. Snchformingp theilidokprovideea.pivotlwhich may, be readily positionedmnderneatii the outer portionof.' the.

annulanseam.,orishonlderiformedlby the bentperiplieral' portion of the can lidi openen hasascan p iereing` and cutting, portionigiwliichisirmed asapart'of'theii'ange l and; extends downwardlx. ae anger, from. the ange 2 and?. is; also; inclined. forwardly.v It... is. of; the pivot 3; a distance;approxirnatelyJ theJ/vidthfA the. portion 52.asgsiiowniin,17i`g. 1".- Thelowen edge. ii` of` the.

portion;liistinclinedlatlal slightanglewth respect. 2;, theedge.. dii/erging.

to the.; horizontal; iiange. forwardly:witlirespectlto..thelatter. ii'ange.. The apex.. formed". between`- the.. pzntic'nn and'ltiie. edge: EL andlprovidesearpointalfor, ofitlieican 'Iflielngthiofjthe-edge-.6',.backwardlg from'...the point... his. approximatelyv eqnalV to.. the

The, crcssesectionf." the. piercing.. and; cutting portions 5l is.. substantially. channell-shaped,'r as. shown inFig.' 4;' .and-tlie.fianges andv I0. at' the. opposite edges ofthe porton51arewedgefsliaped andytheyrdivergeupwardly.ioimthe edge 6,' as shown inv Fig. 3'.

With this construction, gaged under the annular or head of the latter may when the pivot 3 is ensealn of the can, the lid be pierced by means of a1.. pivot' 3; Whiciiis; p royidedlat..

forward.' side. of the` iormsan acute angle., piitcingthelidlor head.

the point 8 when pressure is applied downwardly against the handle B, or the rear end of the flange 2. With continuing downward pressure applied to the handle the piercing and cutting portion 5 is forced into the lid or head, shearing the metal of the can and providing a relatively long hole, and with continued pressure the metal towards the center of the can is cut and the tab thus formed is rolled against the under side of the lid or head, in the direction toward the center of the lid, by reason of the wedge-shaped iianges 9 and I0, as shown in Fig. 9.

When the edge B is bevelled, as shown best in Fig. 3, the lid or head may be cut from the can by gradually drawing the opener around Vthe peripheral portion of the can with the pivot 3 along the under side of the seam.

It will be noted that the point of the hook for providing the pivot 3 isA made sharp in order to enable it to engage very narrow can rims and thus provide a positive fulcrum about which the can opener may be pivoted.

The piercing and cutting portions in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, are substantially the same as they are described above, but the pivots for the opener are slightly difieren In Figs. 5 and 6, the forward end of the handle has a downward extension Il, and the lower end of the latter is bent towards the side of the flange I having the wedge-shaped flanges 9 and I on the piercing and cutting portion 5, forming a ledge, as indicated by I2. The pivot, in this in-A stance, is provided at the inner end of the vbent portion or ledge I2, as indicated by I3. A

In Figs. '7 and 8, the forward end of the vertical ange I of the handle or opener is bent towardsy one side and also backwardly towards the piercing and cutting portion 5, as indicated by I4.

As stated above, the device is of right angular cross-section substantially throughout its length. The lower or vertical flange I has a cutout por-l tion I at its rear end forming a crown bottle cap remover. The upper or horizontal flange 2 is substantially wide at its rear end, providing a convenient rest for the palm of the hand when using the device as a can opener or puncturing means. The edge 2 at the rear portion of the fiange 2 provides also a convenient means for removing or prying upwardly the lids of glass or other jars.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

1. A can opener, comprising a handle having a pivot portion adjacent one end, said pivot portion extending downwardly and being provided with a hook at its lower end, said hook having a pivot edge directed rearwardly from said one end and offset laterally from the vertical plane of the handle, said pivot edge extending substantially parallel to the upper longitudinal side of the handle, said handle also having a downwardly projecting cutting portion disposed intermediate its ends and provided with a lower sharpened edge, the end of said sharpened edge which is disposed nearest said hook providing an acutely pointed corner adapted to pierce the metal top oi a can when forced thereagainst.

2. A can opener, comprising a handle having adjacent one end, said pivot portion extending downwardly and being provided with a hook at its lower end, said hook having a pivot edge directed rearwardly from said one end and offset laterally from the vertical plane of the handle, said pivot edge extending substantially parallel to the upper longitudinal side of the handle, said handle also having a downwardly projecting cutting portion disposed intermediate its ends and provided with a lower, sharpened edge, the end of said sharpened edge which is disposed nearest said hook providing an acutely pointed corner adapted to pierce the metal top of a can when forced thereagainst, said sharpened edge being disposed at a considerable distance below said pivot edge of said hook, said sharpened edge sloping upwardly from said pointed corner of said cutting portion.

3. A can opener, comprising a handle having a pivot portion adjacent one end, said pivot portion extending downwardly and being provided with a hook at its lower end, said hook having a pivot edge directed rearwardly from said one end and oiset laterally from the vertical plane of the handle, said pivot edge extending substantially parallel to the upper longitudinal side ofv the handle, said handle also having a downwardly projecting cutting portion disposed intermediate its ends and provided with a lower, sharpened edge, the end of said sharpened edge which is disposed nearest said hook providing an acutely pointed corner adapted to pierce the metal top of a can when forced thereagainst, said cutting portion being substantially channel shape and providing laterally projecting flanges along its substantially vertical edges, said iianges being disposed at the same side of the handle as said pivot edge.

4. A can opener, comprising a handle having a pivot portion adjacent one end, said pivot por` tion extending downwardly and being provided with a hook at its lower end, said hook having a pivot edge directed rearwardly from said one end and offset laterally from the vertical plane of the handle, said pivot edge extending substantially parallel to the upper longitudinal side of the handle, said handle also having a downwardly projecting cutting portion disposed intermediate its ends and provided with a lower, sharpened edge, the end of said sharpened edge which is disposed nearest said hook providing an acutely pointed corner adapted to pierce the metal top of a can when forced thereagainst, said cutting portion being substantially channel shape and providing laterally projecting flanges along its substantially vertical edges, said ilangeswbeing disposed at the same side of the handle as said pivot edge, the longitudinal edges of said anges diverging from the plane of said cutting portion in an upward direction.

ROBERT D. COLGROVE.

a pivot portion REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thel le o this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

